1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel physiologically active extract from a plant, and more particularly to a physiologically active extract comprising an ethyl acetate-soluble ingredient from a raw indigo plant, its process, and uses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Indigo plant or Polygonum tinctorium Lour. is an annual plant of the family polygonum classified into a dicotyledonous plant, and the place of origin is South Vietnam. It is said that the plant was brought to Japan from China before the 7th century as a plant for dying deep blue, together with the dying technique, and is now being cultivated in and around Tokushimaxe2x80x94prefecture in Japan. In the old days, people believed that the leaves and seeds of the indigo plant contained useful physiologically active ingredients and were used as a crude drug after being dried under the sun into dried indigo leaves and seeds. As described in pages 5 to 7 of xe2x80x9cNippon-Yakuso-Zenshoxe2x80x9d (Encyclopedia of Japanese Medicinal Plants), edited by Mizuo Mizuno, published on Feb. 22, 1995 by Shin-Nihon-Hoki-Shuppan Publisher, Tokyo, Japan, the indigo plant was merely known for its anti-inflammatory-, alleviation-, and detoxification-actions; such physiological actions can only be expected when used in the form of an infusion prepared by soaking the indigo leaves and seeds in hot water.
At present being substantially free from inconvenience of clothes, foods and homes, people, including those of younger ages, are beginning to pay a striking attention to their health, more particularly to crude drugs which can be easily used daily without doctors"" prescriptions. This can be seen from the fact that articles on crude drugs are published, and various types of health foods and supplemental health foods are flooding groceries and pharmacies. Generally, crude drugs have a mild action and a lesser side effect as advantageous features but have a different sensitivity for individuals as a demerit; the establishment of a novel crude drug with diversified physiological activities will be greatly required for answering the users"" demands.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention aims to provide a novel physiologically active extract from a plant, which exerts diversified physiological actions.
The present invention further aims to provide a process for producing the physiologically active extract.
The present invention also aims to provide a physiologically active composition containing the physiologically active extract.
The present inventors"" energetic study revealed that a novel physiologically active extract from indigo plant or an extract, obtainable by soaking a raw indigo plant in an organic solvent to extract ethyl acetate-soluble ingredients, exerts in mammals and humans diversified physiological actions including antiseptic-, antiviral-, antitumor-, radical entrapping-, apoptosis controlling-, and cytokine production controlling-, and cytokine production inhibitory-actions, as well as expression inhibitory action on nitrogen monoxide synthetic enzymes. They also found that the extract does not substantially show side effects in mammals and humans and it can be used safely in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals for humans.
The present invention solves the first object of the present invention by providing a physiologically active extract comprising an ethyl acetate-soluble ingredient from a raw indigo plant.
The present invention solves the second object of the present invention by providing a process for producing a physiologically active extract comprising the ethyl acetate-soluble ingredient from a raw indigo plant, characterized in that it comprises the steps of soaking the indigo plant in an organic solvent to extract the ethyl acetate-soluble ingredient from the plant, and collecting the extract.
The present invention solves the third object of the present invention by providing a physiologically active composition comprising the ethyl acetate-soluble ingredient.
As described already, it is well known that the water-extracted leaves and seeds of indigo plant, which are indigo plant products dried under the sun, exert anti-inflammatory-, alleviation-, and detoxification-actions; It is an unexpected finding that ethyl acetate-soluble ingredients, obtained by treating directly a raw indigo plant with an organic solvent, do exert the aforesaid diversified physiological actions. The present invention was made based on the finding.